Recycle Hosiery ~ Creative Ways to Use Old Pantyhose

Updated on May 14, 2015

Don't trash those hose! The are so many useful things that can be done with an old pair of pantyhose that will save you time, money and energy. Things that before you read this article you may have not even thought about. So grab that old pair of nylons, toss them in the washer bag and get 'em nice and clean and then put them to good use!

FIRST AID

TOURNIQUET Cut strips of hose and keep them in your first aid and snake bite kits in case you need to restrict blood flow in a hurry!

ICE AND HEAT PACK HOLDER AND POSITIONER Cut the leg off a pair of nylons and place therapy pack in the center. Position the pack where you want it and tie the ends around the body and secure.

HOLD GAUZE IN PLACE Cut a circle from a pair of support pantyhose and slip arm or leg through it to hold gauze in place.

ARTS AND CRAFTS PROJECTS

PILLOW STUFFING Cut pantyhose into small pieces and use them for stuffing when making pillows, stuffed animals etc.

DOLL HEADS Cover Styrofoam balls with hose to make doll heads. This gives the appearance of skin.

POTATOES Take small pieces of cut pantyhose and form into a ball. Cover ball with pantyhose and sew to secure. Take knotted thread and pull through potato to make "eyes." Arrange in basket or poking out of a small potato sack for a cute craft.

TIE DYE Cut strips of hose to use for "ties" when tie-dying clothing.

DRAWER SACHETS Cut out the feet of a pair of white pantyhose and fill them with scented potpourri. Secure the end with a rubber band and decorate with pretty ribbon.

FAIRY WINGS Stretch over wire coat hangers to make fairy wings for a costume or a child's dress-up fun.

BRAIDED RUGS Take the legs off of several pairs of brown, white and black pantyhose and braid the three colors together. When you've braided enough cords, sew into a swirl pattern to make a braided rug.

BABIES AND CHILDREN

LAUNDERING TINY BABY SOCKS How many times have you lost little baby socks or later found them in shirt sleeves or the lint catcher? Well stick little items like this in the leg of a pair of hose then tie the end and toss in the washer.

BABY MITTENS Cut the feet off of a pair of pantyhose and slip over the hands of newborns to keep them from scratching their faces.

PLAY DRESS UP! Give old pairs of hose to little girls to wear for their pantyhose when they play dress up. Also, boys or girls will like to slip the legs over their faces to make creepy alien faces!

BATHING AND BEAUTY

LOOFAH Place beauty bar inside a strip of pantyhose and rub on skin. The hose make a rich lather and gently exfoliates.

PONYTAIL HOLDERS Cut circles from the legs of a pair of support pantyhose to make stretchy ponytail holders.

MAKESHIFT GIRDLE Cut the top off a pair of support or control top hose. This works to help flatten the tummy even when you don't want to wear pantyhose!

PANTIES SAVERS When you're at a certain time in the month that your pretty panties may risk getting soiled and stained, save them by just using the panties that were cut off of your old pair of pantyhose.

SLIP ON SHOES EASILY Cut the feet off of a pair of hose and keep them in your purse for when you are at the store trying on shoes and aren't wearing hose.

AROUND THE HOUSE

SHOE SAVER Cut the feet off of a pair of hose and slip them over the tops of dress shoes before storing to keep them from scuffing.

TRASH BAG TIES If you run out of trash bag ties, just use a strip cut from hose to tie up and secure.

HOLD THE TRASH BAG IN PLACE Cut the stretchy part off of the top of a pair of pantyhose and slip over the top of a trash can to hold the bag in place.

BUFFER Use strips of old hose to polish shoes or furniture.

CLOTHES SAVER Cut the leg off a pair of hose and fill with cedar chips or moth balls. Secure the end and hang in the closet to keep moths a bay.

MAKESHIFT CLOTHESLINE Cut the legs off a pair of hose and tie together. Stretch across bathroom or utility room to make a quick clothesline indoors.

VACUUM FILTER If you drop something small on the floor and can't seem to find it, just take a pair of pantyhose and slip the leg over the vacuum hose and vacuum. The small item will be picked up without being lost!

BULB KEEPER Store plant bulbs and onions in the legs of old pantyhose. Since the fabric is breathable, the plants won't rot.

PAPER SAVER Place used rolls of wrapping paper and wallpaper in the legs of pantyhose to keep them clean and from tearing.

TWINE REPLACEMENT Use the legs cut from pantyhose when you need to bind things together.

IN THE GARDEN Use strips of nylons to tie up staked plants in the garden.

FISHING HELPER Place bait such as liver in a square cut from old pantyhose and secure to keep from losing bait while fishing.

Whenever we host a party, we want our guests to have a memorable time and have loads of fun. We also want to impress our guests with unique and tantalizing creations that will make their mouths water, and keep them...

Comments 10 comments

Wow, I never would have thought there were so many great uses for panty hose! I particularly like the one about laundering baby socks. Those little things tend to disappear so easily. Thumbs up!

blessedmommy 8 years ago from Oklahoma City Metro, Oklahoma Author

Thanks, Shawna! Glad you stopped by.

Zsuzsy Bee 8 years ago from Ontario/Canada

Great hub Blessedmommy! Glad your back.

regards Zsuzsy

blessedmommy 8 years ago from Oklahoma City Metro, Oklahoma Author

Thanks Zsuzsy. I hope no one thought I was trying to promote my hub through the forum - that wasn't my intention. I'm still glad you stopped by though!

RiaMorrison 8 years ago from Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Great suggestions! I want to try some of them; shame I don't tend to wear pantyhose so I don't have any that have worn out. :p

edna whitehurst 7 years ago

i ask the local secondary school for donations of school Tights ..as they are all Black and thick 60/120 denier ..these are very durable for cutting up etc...if not, then i get them from my Daughter in Law..[she wears Thick Black opaque nylon Tights!!]

frogyfish 6 years ago from Central United States of America

Several of these great tips were totally new to me...great info to be useful many times over.

dorothyjames 6 years ago

Will use and reuse and redesign its functions from these ideas for gifts and our own uses...Thanks ever so much. I google on last minute thought of "uses for used pantyhoses" not thinking I would find anything but here I am ...Thanks for much for I have OLD worn out halfs of pantyhoses just about to go to dump. Now they have a new future..

Patricia Collins 5 years ago

I am from the Depression time so don't throw anything away. I no longer wear my pantyhose so had about 2 dozen tucked away in case I found a use for them "someday". I am so excited to learn all these exciting things that can be done with them. My daughter in Paradise, Calf. is a crafter and makes dolls etc. I will now give them to her and she will put them to good use. THANKS for the information.

Cathy 5 years ago

Wow, I've been retired for 10 years--just went through my drawers of old pantyhose and decided to google uses for them. I'm going to substitute them for plastic twine when I wrap my shrubs and dead branches for the trash or for when I make crappie beds under my boat dock!